Sohrab's Fate: From Trauma to Tentative Hope

Sohrab's journey from a happy child to a traumatized victim and finally to a boy who smiles again.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Happy Childhood

A Happy Childhood Birth and Early Years Sohrab is born in the winter of 1990, delivered by his grandmother Sanaubar. He is named after the hero of the Shahnamah. He grows up in Baba's house in Kabul, surrounded by love. His father Hassan teaches him to read and write, and his mother Farzana cooks for him. He is especially close to his grandmother Sasa. The Kite Runner's Son Sohrab inherits his father's skill with the slingshot. He becomes deadly accurate. He also loves kites and goes kite running with Hassan. They hang the kites they catch on the walls of the hallway. Sohrab is a happy, curious boy, full of life. The Loss When the Taliban kill his parents, Sohrab is taken to an orphanage. He is then taken by Assef, who uses him as a dancing boy and sexually abuses him. Sohrab's childhood is shattered. He becomes withdrawn and traumatized, his only comfort the slingshot he keeps hidden.

The Suicide Attempt

The Suicide Attempt The Promise Broken After the rescue, Amir promises Sohrab he will never send him to an orphanage. But the lawyer Omar Faisal suggests that Sohrab may need to stay in an orphanage temporarily to facilitate the adoption. Amir reluctantly tells Sohrab about this possibility. Sohrab is terrified and begs not to go. The Bathroom That night, while Amir is on the phone with Soraya, Sohrab takes a bath. He uses a razor to slit his wrists. Amir finds him in the bathtub, blood everywhere. He screams and calls an ambulance. Sohrab is rushed to the hospital and survives after emergency surgery. The Silence After the suicide attempt, Sohrab becomes completely silent. He refuses to speak or interact. He is placed under suicide watch. The trauma of his past and the broken promise have pushed him to the edge. Amir is devastated, realizing the depth of the damage he has caused.

The First Smile

The First Smile Life in America Sohrab comes to live with Amir and Soraya in San Francisco. He remains silent for months. He sleeps a lot and shows no emotion. Soraya and Amir try to engage him, but he is unreachable. The general and Khala Jamila visit, but Sohrab barely acknowledges them. The Kite Flying At an Afghan New Year gathering in Fremont, Amir buys a kite. He asks Sohrab to help him fly it. Sohrab follows him. Amir uses Hassan's old trick to cut down a green kite. As the kite spirals down, Sohrab's lips curl into a faint, lopsided smile. It is the first sign of life in months. The Promise Renewed Amir runs to retrieve the kite, shouting, "For you, a thousand times over!" He knows the smile is just a tiny thing, but it is a beginning. Sohrab has taken the first step toward healing. The novel ends on a note of tentative hope, suggesting that with time and love, Sohrab may recover.

1990 to 1998

July 2001

March 2002